Yoshi’s chef Sho Kamio: Bankruptcy filing won’t affect the restaurant

Yesterday, SF Weekly reported that Fillmore jazz behemoth Yoshi’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, just as the 5-year-old club/restaurant was slated to start repaying its $7.2 million loan from the city’s redevelopment agency. Reps told the Weekly that the move is meant to restructure finances, and that there won’t be any changes to the club.

Sho Kamio, the executive chef at the three-star Japanese restaurant within the club, sings a similar tune. He says the restaurant is neither closing nor changing.

“We are keeping normal, nothing is changing. We are going to keep continuing what we’re doing,” Kamio tells Scoop. He’s met with staffers to explain what’s going on, and has been assuring curious food vendors — some of which are C.O.D. — that the restaurant isn’t closing.

Kamio adds that it was a somewhat surprising move, given that this is the busy season and they have many holiday corporate parties in the restaurant. At the restaurant, they are getting more walk-ins than ever, and their check averages have increased $60-$70 in the past several months. He says over 2,000 people attended Kenny G’s show last week.

“I hope this is a good sign for the economy. People want to spend money, and I can tell this is a busy season,” he says.